My Wishlist

Clean Slate

"Clean Slate" evokes a lazy Sunday brunch, where friends linger and conversations land lightly on the big questions of living a complex adult life: balance of self and family, deepening love, loss, renewal.

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

Album Notes

20 years after releasing two critically acclaimed albums, the British-American duo Eye to Eye strides back onto the music scene with a third album, aptly titled "Clean Slate."

American vocalist, Deborah Berg, and British keyboard player, Julian Marshall, present an album embracing musical styles from old school R&B to bossa nova, from folk to big band. Produced by Rhett Davies (Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry), the CD was rated #6 in MOJO's Top Ten Picks (October 2005). "Clean Slate" has been called "jazz-tinged, well-played, beautifully sung" (Record Collector).

The eleven songs cover diverse themes: from full-bodied, mature love to the high-wire act of balancing motherhood and selfhood. The album starts with "Scenes By A Wishing Well," featuring The Uptown Horns (Rolling Stones, Robert Plant), a snapshot of a modern mom trying to gracefully ride the wave of daily life. The CD closes with the title track, an upbeat meditation on the redemptive renewal of nature and time.

Eye to Eye was born in 1980 after a chance encounter between Julian Marshall and Deborah Berg at a dance performance in San Diego. Soon after, Deborah and Julian had a tape of demos and a record deal with Warner Brothers in the works. Eye to Eye’s first album, "Eye to Eye," was produced by Gary Katz (Steely Dan) and yielded the Billboard Top 40 single "Nice Girls." The album was well reviewed by the New York Times and sold over 80,000 copies in the U.S.

After their second album, "Shakespeare Stole My Baby," Julian and Deborah put the band on hiatus while they both dedicated their time to family and other pursuits. They are thrilled to share their new album with you!

I really like this album from Eye to Eye. Julian Marshall and Deborah Berg have hit the spot with Clean Slate.

Deborah Berg’s effortlessly beautiful voice hooked me from first hearing Scenes By a Wishing Well. She really brings the lyrics alive.
Some stunning organ work here from Marshall, showing that less is more. The song also has some tasty horn playing.

In Fly Now Marshall and Berg show that it is possible to write a moving song responding to the appalling events of 9/11. There artistry really shines through in this haunting piece.

There are lighter beautifully crafted songs too, such as Dragon Fly which has space and lovely guitar and keyboard passages.

Berg and Marshall have done it again with this witty little ditty! All of their talents are on display here. The arrangements here are purrfect along with Deborah Bergs beautiful pipes effortlesly belting out the realities of home life and child rearing, something I think we all lovingly relate to. Often times even the most talented voices lose a little luster, not the case with this issue. Like a fine wine here she is with a sweetness well worth the wait. The albums differences in comparison with "Shakespeare Stole my Baby" is that this theme-based beauty hits home with the relevance of keeping the family intact and going forward. This album with Julian Marshalls brilliance and sheer talent keep your fingers poppin and your feet movin. Cheers to this duo who through time have won critical acclaim with my family and friends who feel their vibe.

Can't box this sound in; but picture Steely Dan x Everything But The Girl. This is a great album by the original Eye to Eye. Wish you the Best! Deborah's voice is wonderful; it will warm you no matter what. Thanks!